Improvement in car-couplings



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

J. A. HINSONL Gar-Coupling,

No. 197,851 Patented Dec. 4, I877.

2SheetsSheet 2'.

J, A. HINSON. Gar-Gpupling.

No. 197,851. Patented Dec. 4, 1877;

"1 l I M UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

JAMES A. ninsomor OSKALOOSA, Assienonor- ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TOA.A.'JUDSQN, or FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

"IMPROVE NT m CAR-COUPLINGS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,851, datedDecember 4, 1877; application filed r 1 May 18, 187 7. v

ful Improvements in Oar-Oouplin gs and I do hereby declare. thatthefollowing is a full,

clean-and exact description thereof, which will'enableothers skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, refer-.

ence being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, and in which Figure 1 is a side view. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 00 min Fig. 1,showing two draw-heads coupled. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of thelock-pin used for retaining thecoupling-hook in its place. Fig. 5represents a modification of my invention, and Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of the lock-pin used in the modified form of my inventionrepresented in Fig. 5.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention relates to automatic car-couplings; and it consists in theconstruction and V combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully shownand described.

In the drawing, A is the draw-bar, having a flaring head or mouth, A,which is divided by ahorizontal diaphragm, a,into two recesses, 13 B. (lis a strong bar or plate secured vertically between two cars orprojectionsfl) I), of the drawhead A, and slanting toward the rear partof this, as shown. That side of the draw-head which faces plate 0 isrecessed, and within the recess is pivoted, at c c, the verticallock-plate 1), which, therefore, faces guide-plate O, the two platesbeing placed at an angle to each other. (I is a rod secured in plate D,and passing through perforations in the mouth A of the drawhead, back ofthe plate or diaphragm a, to the opposite side, where it is hooked ontoa vertical lever, E, which has its fulcrum at c. This lever terminatesin a weight, E, so that the lock-plate D will be pressed or forcedoutward against the guide-plate O by rod 01 and weighted lever E E whenthe latter is in its normal or vertical position.

The coupling-hook F ishung between bear- I ings ff on that'side of thedraw-head opposite to the lock-plate D and stationary guide-plate C. Itis prevented from swinging out too far by a'lock-pin, G, theconstruction of whichis shown more clearly in Fig. 4. As will be seen byreference to that figure, this lock-pin consists. of a shank, g, havingat .one end a weighted arm, h, and at the other alug or but ton, i. Theshank g and lug i are inserted through a slot, 7c, in the rear part ofthe coup-.

li'n g-hook 1 and passed through a corresponding cut or slot, l, in thespring H, which latter is placed between the brackets ff, so as to forma'cushion between the coupling-hook F and the side of the draw-head,against which it works and to which it is secured. After the lock-pin Ghas been passed through the slots is and Z, to do which the arm h mustbe held in a horizontal position, parallel to that of the draw-bar andcoupling-hook, it is allowed to drop into its vertical position, whichprevents the withdrawal of the pin, and firmly locks the hook F andspring H together. It follows that the lateral play of the hook islimited or controlled by the length of the shank g of lock-pin G, byremoving which and withdrawing bolt m, by'which the hook is pivotedbetween" its hearings or brackets ff, the hook may readily be removedfrom the draw-head.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have represented a modified form of my invention,which consists of a round bolt, 91, having a transverse slot, 0, in itsupper arm, into which is inserted a hat steel spring, 19 p, the long endof which is bent at a right angle, as shown. Bolt a is inserted throughthe perforations in bracketsf f and coupling-hook F, and serves as thepivot for the latter, the bent arm 10 passing down on the outside ofhook F, while the short straight arm 19 will abut against the shoulder rof the draw-head. By this arrangement, it will be seen that the tensionof spring 10 p will force hook F up against the draw-head, but yet allowsufficient elasticity for lateral motion of the hook in coupling. It isobvious that when this form of pin is used, the lock-pin G is dis pensedwith. In Fig. 5 I have represented bolt 12. as partly withdrawn. When inuse the straight arm of spring 1) 19 should rest upon the top edge ofthe hook F, the bent arm p reaching down to the lower edge of the hook,so as to have the largest possible be'aring-surface. From the foregoingdescription, taken in connection with the drawing, the operation of myimproved automatic coupling will be-readily understood. When coupling,the hook F of one of the draw-heads will enter between the guide-plate Gand lock-plate D of the other draw-head, pushing the latter aside intoits recess in the side of the draw-head as i passes. As soon as the hookhas entered, the

lock-plate D will, impelled by the weighted lever E E and rod d, occupyits former or normal locked position, and thereby prevent the withdrawalof the hook, which efi'ects the coupling. To uncouple, the top of leverE is pushed, bysuitable rods and connections, so that it may be operatedfrom the top or platform of the car, in the direction of the arrow,which will draw the lock-plate into its recess, flush with the side ofthe draw-head, thereby allowing the hook to pass it and slip out.

When used as an ordinary pin-and-link coupling, the hook F, lock-pin G,and lever E E are removed, and an ordinary link inserted into either oneof the recesses 13 B in the draw-head, which is retained in place by apin passing vertically through these recesses, in the usual manner.

recessed draw-head A, vertical slanting guideplate 0, pivoted verticallock-plate D, rod d, and weighted lever E E, substantially as and forthe purpose herein shown and specified.

2. The combination of the draw-head A, having brackets or bearings ff,pivoted coupling-hook F, lock-pin G, and spring or elastic cushion H,substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. HINSON.

I Witnesses:

D. G. WHITE, W. G. GLAIZE.

